Door-releasing apparatus.



No. 795,897. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905.

G. A. GRIQUI.

DOOR RELEASING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.28,1904.

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No. 795,897. PATENTED' AUG. 1, 1905. c. A. GRIQUL DOOR RBLEASINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 28,1904.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m k l Inventor J PATBNTED AUG. 1., 1905.

C. A. GRIQUI. DOOR RELEASING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M AR.28,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

ANDREW a GRAHAM m 'movoumocnmns wumcmhn No. 795,897. PATENTED AUG. 1,1905.

G. A. GRIQUI. DOOR RELEASING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 28,1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. ORIQUI, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DOOR-RELEASING APPARATUS. I

apparatus designed more especially for si-- multaneously releasing orunbolting the various exits of a theater, school, factory, or similarbuilding in which persons gather in large numbers in order to permit theready escape of the occupants in case of a fire or other'mishap liableto cause a panic.

The object of my invention is the provision of a reliable apparatus ofthis character which shall be simple in construction and which can becontrolled from different parts of the theater or other building, sothat in case of emergency the various exits can be promptly opened.

In theaccompanying drawings, consisting of four sheets, Figure 1 is afragmentary vertical section of a building, showing my improvedapparatus applied to hinged. double doors. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section in line 2 2, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectional side elevation of i one of the bolt-guides with thenear side plate removed. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section in line 4 4,Fig. 3, with both side plates applied to the guide. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the hinge-joint connecting the section of theair-pipe mounted on the door with the adjacent stationary section. Fig.6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the pressure-cylinder andpiston and the boltshifting mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is asimilar section at right angles to Fig. 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentarylongitudinal sections of the toothed portions of the sliding bolts. Fig.10 is a transverse section in line 10 10, Fig. 6. Fig. 11 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1, showing the apparatus modified to suit a singlehinged door. Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the apparatus applied toa sliding door.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 28, 1904:- Serial No. 200,265.

Patented mt 1, 1905.

which enter sockets or keepers C, secured to the floor and the lintel,respectively. The end portion of each bolt slides in a guide D, whichmay be of any suitable construction, but which preferably consists of acasing secured to the face of the door and having upper and lower pairsof antifriction-rollers (1, arranged to bear against the front and rearsides of the bolt, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. These rollers passloosely through openings (1, formed in the side walls of the casing Dand are supported at their ends in ballbearings to reduce the frictionto a minimum. Each of the bearings shown in the drawings consists of anannular row of balls d seated in a corresponding groove (i formed in theside of the casing. The open sides of the several ball-grooves areclosed by cap-plates (1 secured to' opposite sides of the casing, asshown in Fig. 4:.

The keepers C are preferably provided with antifriction-rollers asimilar to those of the guides D, as shown in Fig. 2.

The two door-bolts B B are simultaneously retracted for releasing thedoor by the following mechanism: E is a casing secured to the door aboutmidway of its height and in line with the bolts. F is a horizontal shaftj ournaled transversely in said casing and provided within the latterwith a gear-wheel F, which meshes with toothed bars or gearracks f,formed on or secured to the inner ends of the bolts B B and arranged onopposite sides of the gear-wheel, so that the turning of the shaft Fcauses both bolts to be either retracted or projected in an obviousmanner. The front end of the shaft extends through the casing and isprovided with a crank F by which it may be turned by hand. Thegear-racks f f pass through openings formed in the top and bottom of thecasing E and are held in engagement with the gear-wheel F by rollers h,j ournaled in the casing and bearing against the rear sides of theracks, these rollers having annular grooves h, which receive the racksand hold the same against lateral displacement. The gearracks may befurther steadied in their movements by guide pins or projections i,secured to the front wall of the casing E and entering longitudinalgrooves i, formed in the sides of the racks, as shown in Fig. 7.

J is apressure-cylinder preferably mounted on the same base-plate as thecasing E, and

K is a piston or plunger arranged therein and carrying a gear-rack K,which extends forwardly through the adj aeent end of the easing E andmeshes with the gear-wheel F, so that when the piston is forcedforwardly by admitting compressed air or other suitable fluid to thecylinder the' shaft F is turned in the proper direction to withdraw thebolts B B and release the door. In the construction illustrated in thedrawings, Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the rack of the piston engages with theunder side of the gear-wheelF and is arranged 011 one side of thegear-racks f f of the bolts, the gear-wheel being made Wide enough forthis purpose. The gear-rack K of the piston is steadied by a groovedguide-roller is, similar to the rollers h.

L is a pressuretank which is adapted to contain compressed air or otherfluid under pressure and from which the cylinder J is sup plied by asuitable conduit. Compressed air is preferable for thispurpose, and theconduit shown in the drawings consists of a main stationary pipe-line M,extending from the tank to the door jamb or frame and a movablepipe-section M, carried by the door. One end of this movable section isconnected with the cylinder J, while its opposite end is connected withthe adjacent end of the main line by a flexible or hinge joint M of anysuitable construction which permits the door to open and close withoutdisturbing the connection between the cylinder and the supplytank. Thisflexible connection may consist of an ordinary rubber hose but I preferto employ the jointed pipe connection shown in the drawings. Thisconnection, which is best shown in Fig. 5, consists of upper and lowerbracket-fittings m m, secured to the doorj amb and the inner edge of thedoor, respectively, short horizontal pipe-sections m m projecting fromsaid fittings, upright pipe-sections m m connected with theouter ends ofsaid horizontal sections, and horizontal pipe sections or arms m mextending outwardly from the upper ends of said upright pipe-sectionsand connected at their outer ends by a vertical pipe-section m The upperfitting m is provided with communicating branches m m which receive theipe-sections M m and the lower fitting m has similar communicatingbranches m m, which receive the pipe-sections M m The severalpipesections forming this hollow hinge-joint are connected by elbows mand the sections are screwed into these elbows with sufficient loosenessto permit the pipe-arms m m to petcock a may also be located adjacent toeach of these hand-valves, as shown. Other doors of the building may beprovided with bolts and bolt-retracting devices like the doors shown inthe drawings, the pressurecylinders of such other doors being suppliedby branch pipes 0, connected with the main line M. When the apparatus isused in a theater, the hand-valves N may be located on the stage and inthe ticket-olfice or foyer, and similar valves can be placed indifferent parts of the auditorium.

Upon opening any one of the hand-valves N compressed air is admitted tothe cylinders J of the various exit-doors, driving the pistons Kforwardly and simultaneously with drawing the bolts of the severaldoors, as 'hereinbefore described. The doors are thus free to be thrownopen by the attendants or occupants, who can make a hasty exit. Afterclosing the doors their bolts are projected for securing them and thepistons K returned to their initial position by turning the cranks F inthe proper direction. The air behind the piston K escapes through thehinged joint in the main line M, which permits the necessary leakage. Ifdesired, however, thepetcocks 11. may be temporarily opened for thispurpose.

My improved apparatus is also applicable to a single hinged door havinga horizontallysliding bolt B as shown in Fig. 11. In this case thekeeper C, which receives the bolt, is arranged at the free edge of thedoor, and the pressure-cylinder J is secured to the wall or door-jamband arranged at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1. The gearconnections between the bolt and the piston of the cylinder are the sameas those of the firstdescribed construction and are shown by dottedlines.

The bolts of sliding doors may also be operated by this apparatus. Forexample, when the same is applied to a horizontallysliding door, asshown in Fig. 12, the cylinder J and gear-casing E are securedhorizontally to the lintel of the door and a single locking-bolt B isemployed which enters a socket or keeper C in the upper edge of thedoor.

I claim as my invention 1. In an apparatus of the character described,the combination of a door, a lockingbolt for the same having a gear-rack, a pressure-cylinder, a piston. arranged in the cylinder andhaving a gear-rack, a shaft having a gear-wheel which meshes with thegear-racks of the bolt and piston, guide-rollers bearing against therear sides of said gear-racks, and a pressure-supply pipe leading tosaid cylinder and having a controlling-valve, substan tially as setforth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of adoor, a locking-bolt for the same having a gear-rack, a

pressure-cylinder, a piston arranged in the cylinder and having agear-rack, a shaft having a gear-wheel which meshes'with the gearracksof the bolt and piston, guide-rollers having annular grooves whichreceive said gearracks, and a pressure-supply pipe leading to saidcylinder and having a controllingvalve, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of adoor, a locking-bolt for the same having a gearrack, apressure-cylinder, a piston arranged in said cylinder and having agear-rack, a shaft having a hand-crank and a gear-wheel which mesheswith the gear-racks of the bolt and the piston, and a pressure-supplypipe connected with said cylinder and having a controlling-valve,substantially as set forth.

1 L In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of adoor, a locking-bolt carried by the same, a pressure-cylinder and pistonalso mounted on the door, shifting means for the bolt operated by saidpiston, and a pressure-supply pipe leading to said cylinder andconsisting of a stationary section, a movable section carried by thedoor and a flexible connection between said stationary and movablesections, substantially as set forth.

5. I11 an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ahinged door, a locking-bolt carried by the same, a pressurecylinder andpiston also mounted on the door, shifting means for the bolt operated bysaid piston, and a pressure-supply pipe leading to said cylinder andconsistingof a stationary section, a movable section carried by the doorand a flexible connection between said stationary and movable sectionslocated at the hinged edge of the door and consisting ofbracket-fittings secured to the door and the jamb, upper and lowerhorizontallyswinging pipe-sections having their inner ends connectedwith said bracket-fittings, respectively, and a vertical pipe-sectionconnecting the outer ends of said swinging sections, substantially asset forth.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of ahinged door, a locking-bolt carried by the same, a pressurecylinder andpiston also mounted on the door, shifting means for the bolt operated bysaid piston, and a pressure-supply pipe leading to said cylinder andconsisting of a stationary section, a movable section carried by thedoor and a flexible connection between said stationary and movablesections located at the hinged edge of the door and consisting of abracket-fitting secured to the door and connected with said movablepipe-section, a similar bracket-fitting secured to the jamb below theplane of the first-named bracketfitting and connected with saidstationary pipe-section, fixed horizontal pipe-sections projectingforwardly from said bracket-fittings and provided at their outer endswith upright pipe-sections, horizontally-swinging pipe-sectionsconnected at their inner ends to said upright sections, and a verticalpipesection connecting the outer ends of the horizontally-swingingsections, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 25th day of March,

CHARLES A. CRIQUI. Witnesses O. F. GEYER, E. M. GRAHAM.

